The First Lackey Under The Empress

How to breach a solid fortress?

Historical experience tells Zhao Du'an that it is necessary to start from the inside.

From Yunxi's intelligence, three key elements can be extracted:

First, the Fourth Miss Pei has the intention to abandon her husband, but has not been able to do so.

Second, Lü Liang and his father-in-law are outwardly in harmony but inwardly at odds, merely exploiting each other. Lü Liang hates the Pei family, but is reluctant to break away.

Third, Lü Liang and Vice Minister Pei both hold compromising information about each other.

The key is the last point.

“Lü Liang is known for his uprightness, but he has not only accepted 'bribes' but also accidentally killed someone, which is enough to ruin his future.”

“Vice Minister Pei, as one of the core figures in the 'Li Faction' second only to Li Yanfu, has been through many ups and downs in his career. Even Yuan Li cannot find any flaws in him, which shows that he is extremely cautious and meticulous in his actions. However, everyone makes mistakes…”

Lü Liang's ranking in the imperial examinations has been interfered with by him many times… Heh, as long as the crime of manipulating the imperial examinations is confirmed, it will be easy to get rid of him.”

Zhao Du'an narrowed his eyes, secretly pondering:

“Unfortunately, although the direction is there, the actual operation is still full of difficulties.

First of all, investigating from the imperial examinations themselves is impractical. It happened more than ten years ago, too long ago, and difficult to trace.

Moreover, it is impossible for Vice Minister Pei to be stupid enough to leave evidence until now, even if there is any, it must have been erased.”

“So, the most ideal situation is that Lü Liang can come forward to expose and report this matter… But this is even more difficult…”

Lü Liang is willing to endure humiliation in order to become an official, which shows that he has a very strong desire to improve.

Moreover, he is deeply tied to Vice Minister Pei and is also a member of the 'Li Faction', belonging to the same grasshopper on a rope. It is impossible for him to self-destruct and perish together with his father-in-law…”

“As for the Fourth Miss Pei, although she hates her husband, she cannot betray the entire family for the sake of her father…”

Zhao Du'an was a little troubled.

The opportunity came, but it seemed to have not come.

As it is.

No wonder Yuan Li could not find a way to start for a while. The big figures who can stand in the court for many years are not simple people.

“Think carefully! This information definitely has something to be made of… But something is still missing.” Zhao Du'an frowned and pondered.

While he was frantically squeezing his brain cells, Zhu Kui returned:

“My lord, Qin Qiu requests an audience.”

Qin Qiu?

Zhao Du'an was stunned, and the original owner's memory surfaced in response.

In his mind, a picture of a small, squinting, and always smiling lackey emerged.

Qin Qiu, one of the original owner's cronies, is also a unique flower in the circle of noble young masters in the capital.

His background is not noble, and the reason why he can get into the "Beijing Circle" is entirely due to his clinging and flattering of the Yunyang Princess's consort, who took him as a lackey.

After that, in order to cling to Wang You, the son of the Minister of Rites, he turned his head and drew a clear line with the consort, which can be called a model of ingratitude and bullying the weak and fearing the strong. Therefore, he is despised by many noble children.

Of course, he is not without merit. He writes beautiful calligraphy, is proficient in poetry, lyrics, and prose, and also has a foundation in martial arts.

At the beginning of Zhao Du'an's rise, Qin Qiu came to him and praised him to the point of feeling like an immortal.

He also led the original owner into the circle of nobles, opening his eyes. It can be said that Qin Qiu is responsible for 50% of the original owner's notoriety.

It's just that after Zhao Du'an "had an accident", the other party disappeared out of thin air.

Now that Zhao Du'an has solved the firearms case, and the news of his being rewarded by the saint has spread, this opportunistic villain has come smelling the scent.

“Let him in.” Zhao Du'an pondered slightly and decided to meet him.

… …

A moment later, a deliberately hearty laugh came from outside the hall first.

Then, Qin Qiu, wearing a silk shirt, with a folding fan slanting behind his neck, about twenty-five or six years old, short and thin, with small eyes rolling around, laughed and broke into the door.

He was clearly dressed as a scholar, but it seemed that because the clothes were too big, they gave him a wretched look.

“Brother Zhao! Qiu'er has missed you so much…”

As soon as Qin Qiu stepped in, his smile turned into a crying sound, and he almost crawled to the front, grabbing his hand and not letting go.

The exaggeration and hypocrisy of the expression change is unmatched in the Beijing circle.

Zhao Du'an disgustedly withdrew his hand. He had seen many flattering people, but this was the only one that could be called disgusting:

“Oh? Since you want to see me, why haven't I seen you for so many days?”

Qin Qiu looked sad and slapped himself twice, quite hard, before saying:

“Some time ago, I fell and was recuperating at home. I didn't know that you were framed by villains. When I came out after recovering from my injury, I realized that so many big things had happened in such a short time, and you have made great contributions… If Qiu'er had known earlier, I would have been willing to waste this leg and come out earlier to clear your name! Fortunately, good people are blessed by heaven.”

Then he showed a sinister look:

“I have long disliked the Zhang brothers, but I am afraid of their elders and cannot do anything. Now that the tree has fallen and the monkeys have scattered, Qiu'er has been keeping a close eye on the women of their family. If you want to enjoy them, brother, leave it to me!”

Zhao Du'an's expression suddenly turned cold: “Women?”

Qin Qiu, who was trying his best to please and flatter, did not expect to pat the horse's leg. He was stunned for a moment before remembering that Zhao Du'an was infatuated with the Empress and disdained other women.

Moreover, not long ago, the women of the Zhao family were almost humiliated…

Immediately, he slapped himself twice again, his cheeks red and swollen, and apologized:

“Qiu'er thought wrong, please punish me, brother!”

Zhao Du'an smiled noncommittally:

“I don't have a virtuous brother as ignorant as you. Since you are apologizing and congratulating, why did you come empty-handed?”

Damn it… Isn't he just asking for benefits?

Qin Qiu cursed secretly in his heart, with a humble and flattering expression on his face:

“I brought it, I brought it.”

Saying that, he groped out a wrinkled five-hundred tael silver note from his arms, using it as a gift:

“That fellow Pei Wulang owes you money at Cypress Garden. I'll pay back three hundred taels first. I rounded it up to buy wine for you, brother.”

Zhao Du'an stared at the silver note, his pupils suddenly shrinking!

The memory, which had gradually become blurred, surfaced in response.

Pei Wulang… Cypress Garden… Silver note… IOU…

He finally remembered where the silver in his bedroom's money box had gone!

The process is not complicated:

Two months ago, the original owner took Qin Qiu to a private house "casino" to play. The casino is located in the north of the city, called Cypress Garden.

It is worth mentioning that in the Great Yu, gambling is strictly prohibited by the "Great Yu Law". As early as the founding of the country, the Great Yu Taizu formulated strict laws.

Gambling games are cracked down on, and even a Daoxiaolou was built north of "Baishi Bridge" in the capital.

All those who do not engage in their proper business, pursue speculative gambling, and play games are imprisoned in the building, euphemistically called "Xiaoyao Prison".

If officials gamble, civil officials will be dismissed and become commoners, and military officials will not only be dismissed but also "follow the food and grain to serve as errands", which translates to bringing their own dry food to serve as corvée…

Those who repeatedly refuse to be reformed may even have their hands cut off.

Today, although the enforcement of the law is far less than it was at the beginning of the founding of the country, and the gambling style has spread everywhere, it is still a matter that cannot be seen in the light of day under the emperor's nose in the capital.

Therefore, casinos are extremely hidden and mostly hidden in private houses.

Zhao Du'an met many playboy children in Cypress Garden.

One of them is Pei Wulang, the fifth son of Vice Minister Pei of the Ministry of Justice, and the younger brother of Lü Liang's wife!

After that, Zhao Du'an became addicted to gambling and lost most of his savings, and also lent some to his "gambling friend" Pei Wulang.

And wrote an IOU.

Qin Qiu acted as the "guarantor".

“No wonder… the money I embezzled for so long suddenly disappeared…”

Zhao Du'an's mood was complicated, both disappointed and surprised.

The disappointment is that the money lost will probably not be recovered.

The surprise is… he has remembered that Pei Wulang's IOU is hidden in the interlayer of his study.

“Gambling is prohibited in the Great Yu. If I hand over the evidence of Pei Wulang's gambling to the Metropolitan Procuratorate, Vice Minister Pei will not be able to protect his own son…”

“From Vice Minister Pei's willingness to choose a son-in-law for his daughter and interfere with the imperial examinations, it can be seen that this Vice Minister cares very much about family affection…”

“In this way, I have a small handle on him… Of course, with this alone, it is impossible to shake Vice Minister Pei's position. If we tear our faces apart, the other party will at most give up his son…”

“Those who play politics are not soft-hearted…”

“But if I can use this 'small handle' properly, it may be of great value.”

At this moment, the information provided by Yunxi and the evidence handed over by Qin Qiu pieced together, forming a slightly risky but vaguely feasible plan in Zhao Du'an's mind—

The plan to bring down Vice Minister Pei is a success!

“Brother Zhao?”

Qin Qiu held the silver note in both hands, and seeing Zhao Du'an's face uncertain, he couldn't help but feel uneasy and called out carefully.

The next second, he saw Zhao Du'an's face bloom with a smile, put the silver note in his arms, put his arm around Qin Qiu's shoulder, and laughed loudly:

“You are really my lucky star.”

Thanks to Xicheng Xue Erlang for the 100 coin reward~